Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Overcoming Adversity	By : choukitsune Category: InuYasha > General Views: 5507 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Overcoming Adversity

Overcoming Adversity
By Youko Starr
None of them were able to sleep well that night. Discussions in the kitchen over dinner had led them all to the conclusion that the jewel was a beacon of sorts for youkai. Miroku stated he felt an odd aura about it, one that he didn�t understand whenever it was unconcealed and near him. He didn�t understand the weird things that he felt lately, or the new sensation stirring inside him. For so many years he had taken his father�s holy mumbo jumbo as a joke, believing it nothing more than a charade to impress tourists. It was a shocking and painful blow to know that he had wrongly doubted his own father for so long, and proved wrong in one of the most dangerous ways. If he had agreed to undergo his father�s priest training�maybe he could have been more useful. Maybe Inuyasha wouldn�t have been so hurt in the fight.
Inuyasha complained of a weird tug, as if the pieces of the jewel wished to draw him to them. He was awake most of the night, but when he did fall asleep, he was troubled by dreams of jamming a hundred shards of glowing pink into his flesh, sliding them into the muscle, becoming a berserking abomination with a need for blood, and lust for human meat. He told no one of what he dreamed.
Kagome kept her own beliefs and thoughts to herself. It worried her, to have a youkai attractor stuffed inside the bosom of her blouse, but it was necessary to ensure the safety of her family. If she left it at home, a demon could attack her unprotected mother, brother, and grandfather. At least the shards would be safe with her and Inuyasha.
Sango felt no radiation from the shards the way the other three hado heo her, it was nothing more than a pile of glowing pink gem shards. What happened outside during the fight bothered her. She had lied and told Miroku she played baseball as a child, and as a pitcher, had one hell of a throwing arm. Unfortunately there wasn�t a lick of truth to that and she hadn�t so much as tossed a baseball in her entire life.e hae hated the game. It was pure instinct that drove her to grab the demons arm and save Kagome�s life. She had hurled the closest object near her, and that had been Juuroumaru�s amputated limb.
Everyone had split up during the morning, promising to meet again at school. Miroku and Sango returned to their respective homes for showers and fresh clothing. Inuyasha could hardly go to school in a red kimono and hakama. Not wanting her to walk to school aloner fer fear that some monster would snatch her, he drew Kagome onto his back, and she received her first ride through the city of Tokyo.
There was no way to describe the exhilarating feeling of the wind breezing through her hair and fluttering her skirt as the two of them sailed from rooftop to rooftop. The brief ride to the top of the shrine steps that night after the party had been only a taste of what she received now.

�This is wonderful!� she cried over the whistle of the wind. �Is this how you get to school every day?!�
�When Mom doesn�t drive,� he replied, landing on a rooftop, and springing onto another. When he arrived at his mother�s building, he paused briefly to scan for peeking neighbors, before dropping in front of the door to their apartment.
The moment he entered his mother seemed to descend upon him with a newspaper, rapping him soundly on the ears.
�Mom!� Inuyasha cried, scurrying away and shielding himself from the barrage of newspaper slaps.
�Don�t call your mother and let her know how you�re doing, make her worry about you! Mrs. Higurashi called a moment ago to let me know you two were on your way here for a change of clothing,� she told him.
Kagome giggledtheitheir exchange, watching Inuyasha stomp off into his bedroom for his uniform. In the meanwhile, the schoolgirl described her son�s bravery and impressive fighting style, leaving out the gorier bits of how he�s been stabbed multiple times and nearly killed, but leaving in all of the heroics and how he protected her.
Mariko smiled at every word, and her chest practically swelled with pride to know her son had turned out alright in the end. aishaisho had brought him up well, and at that moment, she wouldn�t trade what happened fifteen years ago for the world. Nobody could have raised her son better.
Inuyasha emerged from his bedroom, dressed in his uniform, black scarf snugly tied in place to hide his adorable puppy ears. �Let�s go.�
�Bye, Mariko-san!� Kagome cried as Inuyasha tugged out out the door.
The ride to school was just as thrilling. �Hold on tight,� he warned, zipping so quickly down the line of buildings that they were nothing more than a blur of color. He landed a small ways from the school, and the rest of the distance was covered on foot.
�Kagome-chan! There you are!� the voice of Yuka cried from the side. Inuyasha and Kagome froze, spotting three girls towards them from the opposite side of the school gates. �We thought you wouldn�t show up this morning. Oh�you�re with him.�
Due to Sesshoumaru�s tyranny in the school, many students held even stronger grudges against Inuyasha, and Yuka appeared to be one of them. Eri gave him a faint smile, with genuine undertones of friendship beneath it, while Ayumi seemed to regard him neutrally, as neither a threat to their friend or anything good for that matter.
Damned protective friends she had.
�Yeah? I�ve been with her since last night, you got a problem with that?� Inuyasha demanded, at the end of his rope. Kagome�s face turned bright red, about one of the deepest blushes he had ever seen on her cheeks, and he realized just how poorly he�d worded his statement.
�Kagome-chan, you didn�t! What would your mother say if she knew?�
�It wasn�t like that at all, Ayumi! Miroku and my cousin Sango were there too, Mom invited everyone to stay the night because it was so dark when we got to the shrine after our date.�
�Date?� Eri perked up. Kagome sighed, and knew the rest of her day would be spent satisfying Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi�s desire for gossip.
�See you at lunch, Inuyasha!� she cried as she was dragged off by her friends.
***
That morning when Rin awakened, she found a fresh skirt and blouse on a nearby chair with tags still attached. One look at them caused her eyes to bulge. The brand name was one she had never been able to afford, but had looked at most longingly in store windows on the way to work each morning. How could he spend so much money on a woman he had just met?
Considering the expensive formal kimono, she was willing to estimate the two pieces of her new wardrobe had cost him a pretty coin, and that more would be coming behind them.
He was a demon lord�according to Jaken and from bits and pieces of what she could gather from his own statements. He would not tell her everything about him, and either deemed her unworthy to speak to, or enjoyed practicing modesty. She doubted it was the latter.
Breakfast was a lonely and quiet affair, where Rin was served at the long dining room table by the irritable little man Jaken...who had a strange green tint to his complexion this morning. �Where is your lord?� she asked curiously, lifting one brow to look at him while she delicately ate her soft-boiled eggs.
�Where my lord goes is no concern of yours, hu--�
The lecture that would have come was cut off by the loud thwack of a candelabra making contact with Jaken�s head. Rin turned in her seat to see Sesshoumaru framed in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his now human features. �Leave, Jaken. Your spell is failing.�
�Y-yes, my lord. I�ll have it renewed today.� The little man tottered off quickly, taking the candelabra with him to replace it to where it belonged.
Sesshoumaru lowered into one of the chairs at tableable, a quiet and intimidating figure of such beauty that Rin couldn�t help but admire his profile as he stared at one of the windows lining the wall.
�Your servant dislikes me.�
�He dislikes all humans.�
�And what of his Master?� she asked hesitantly, cursing herself for her foolishness afterwards. She stuffed a large piece of cake iner mer mouth, to prevent her curiosity from allowing a question of an even more foolish nature to arise.
Just when she thought Sesshoumaru would decline to comment, he muttered in response, �Humans are weak and frail creatures with little use.� He turned his head to regard her, with cool, golden eyes. �If you do not hurry you will be late to school.�
�Oh!� Rin squeaked. �I�m holding you up, aren�t I?� She laid her chopsticks down and rose to her feet from the table, uttering a brief thanks for the food. �Do you walk every day?�
�Yes.�
Rin excused herself to rush off for her chamber, where she gathered up her briefcase and ungraded papers. When she trekked out to the main hall, she saw Sesshoumaru already walking a few steps ahead of her, and hurried to keep up with him. With his youkai features concealed once more, the need for secrecy and rapid travel was not necessary. Rin found she was better able to keep up with him, as well as appreciate the lovely view from behind, admiring the beautiful tumbling locks of silken white that moved with the lightest of breezes.
She was fascinated by him. A demon in this day and age, it was unbelievable, and if she hadn�t sworn to protect and guard his secret with her very own life, in exchange for him saving her life, she would have called her mother and blurted the entire story out from beginning to end.
When they arrived together to the school, traveling the corridor that their classrooms shared nearly side by side, it was impossible for Sesshoumaru�s ears to not pick up the hints of whispering gossip that leaked down the hall length in passing.
He would fix that.
***
Naraku stared at the human female and dog youkai that passed him, a grimace settled on his lips. Not only did Juuroumaru and Kageroumaru fail to capture Kagome and the shikon, but they didn�t succeed in his own self-appointed task of killing the nosy teacher that nearly overheard their entire plan.
Things were only becoming much worse. He could feel the presence of the shikon in the school, calling out to him. How he wished to corrupt it, to draw upon its power with the most devious and deadly of intentions. All in time. All in time, and it would be his. For now�he would lie in wait, like a deadly serpent waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. They expected the attack now�but soon they would all forget, believe it to be nothing more than a coincidence and let down their guard.
Then the shikon would become his.
***
Lines had formed outside of the cafeteria where the bulletin board was located. The thick crowd practically prevented Coach Chiochi from posting the list of new team players. The moment both sheets of paper were posted, he was jostled out of the way by curious teens and eager young men, all desperate to find a spot on the team.
Kagome saw Inuyasha nowhere in sight, and assumed he as waiting with Sango and Miroku outside on the front lawn where they promised to meet. One minute or two won�t hurt, she thought, pushing her way up to the front for a glimpse. She wasn�t exactly surprised to see Hogosha Inuyasha listed along with Sakashita Miroku. The moment she saw the names she desired to see, she ran out of the school�s front doors to find her friends.
�Inuyasha, Miroku, you made the team!� she cried, giving Inuyasha a tight hug that surprised him (as well as any onlookers).
�Yeah, we kof eof expected that,� he replied after a brief delay, bringing his arms up to return the embrace hesitantly. They broke apart when they realized they had the attention of everyone nearby.
�So!� Kagome began, to clear out the awkward vibe. �Has anyone seen anything odd?�
�Not a thing,� Miroku answered. Sango shook her head as well.
�I�m not even certain what I�m looking for,� Sango admitted. �Neither of us have class with Kagome to keep watch over her.�
Miroku shifted uncomfortably. �A few times, I felt a lingering presence. As if someone had ill intent, but I could never pinpoint it. But I�ve always been able to feel that, so how can we even determine if this is something different?�
Inuyasha could have slapped the back of Miroku�s head. �Because, you dufus, you�re the son of a priest! With authentic training,� he added, glancing at Kagome who reddened at the reference to her Jii-chan.
�I�m not a real houshi, and neither is my father, Inuyasha. My family merely keeps with the tradition of training the first born son in the ways.�
�That�s good enough. Get some more of those damned scrolls from your old man and keep them on you.�
The small group conversed a bit more before splitting up for their respective classes.
***
Sesshoumaru had come to expect seeing Rin in his classroom each afternoon during lunch. As expected, she entered and took a seat at the desk, offering him a kind smile. �Your habits are unusual, why do you never eat? I saw you eat nothing even in your own home.�
He didn�t so much as level his gaze at her, declining to turn away from his perfect window view. He was strange like that, moving only when necessary, and when he did, there was an inherent grace within his limbs that she envied. �Human food doesn�t suit me�neither does Jaken�s cooking.�
Did he just make a joke. Risking iin lin let out a soft laugh. She could agree that Jaken�s cooking was a bit on the �tasteless side, and was rather inferior compared to her own. As a child, she had learned to cook at a young age, her parents often being too busy working, and too exhausted to prepare a family meal. Supporting herself and her siblings had been difficult, and each child had their own assigned tasks in order to help their parents keep the house rderrder.
When Rin was nine years old, her father died in a car accident, struck by a drunk driver at a dangerous and busy intersection. After that, her elderly aunt moved from Hokkaido to help her mother raise the four children. Rin grew even closer to the old woman than she had her own mother perhaps.
Obachan had also been a bit worried when she called Rin�s small apartment and received no answer after school hours. Rin hardly went anywhere, and after an entire evening of receiving no pick up, she had begun to fear the worst. Of course, Rin apozed zed thoroughly, promising to call her that evening.
�Then what does suit you?�
�What I eat, would not appeal to you.�
She could believe it. Although she wondered what inuyoukai ate, she certainly didn�t think it was worth questioning him further when he already appeared irritated with her questions. The rest of her questions simply weren�t worth asking, and the young school teacher silenced. A content silence settled, ain cin could have sworn she saw a faint, ghost of a smile on Sesshoumaru�s features before his usual expressionless features re-emerged.
***
�Are you sure that you and Inuyasha do not want a ride?� Miroku asked, fingering his car keys as the group of four stood outside the school.
�Positive,� Kagome chirped, rather anxious for another ride across the roofs of Tokyo.
�Alright. We�ll meet you there after I stop at home,� Miroku said, as he and Sango got into the car. Sango waved to her cousin, and the two drove off.
�Alright. Hop on,� he told her, turning around. Kagome climbed up onto his back, and the hanyou gripped each of her thighs, darting quickly away and leaping onto a building across the street. That pattern continued for a few miles, rapid leaping back and forth until he reached their destination. He smirked when he saw Miroku and Sango had yet to arrive, and that he had beat them on foot.
However, another car waited in the driveway for them. Kagome blinked, recognizing its color and model immediately. The old woman friend of her grandfather, Kaede, was here visiting. Inuyasha and Kagome walked up towards the house, the girl opening the door and cautiously leaning inside. �Mom? Jii-chan? I�m back,� she called.
�Oh, there you are, Kagome,� Mrs. Higurashi said, appearing from the direction of the kitchen. �We�ve been waiting for you. Come into the kitchen, dear. You too, Inuyasha. I�ve prepared snacks for you kids.�
Kagome and Inuyasha perked up at the mention of snacks and entered, the latter more excited than the other. At the kitchen table, they found Jii-chan and Kaede-baachan sitting in front of a pile of moldy and rather ancient looking books.
�Kaede-baachan?� Kagome murmured.
�Yes, child, I�ve come to help. Sit down, the both of you. I have some terrible news concerning that jewel from Kagome�s body.�
Both ped ped into chairs, and Kagome opened the book in front of her to a particularly old and worn page. An illustrn ofn of a jewel on a long chain of crystal was shown beside a woman of unearthly beauty, with features so calm and serious that Kagome felt she almost knew her.
�There are very few writings about the jewel that you possess, girl, but of the ones I own, most mention this woman Kikyou. Five centuries ago, this woman died protecting the jewel from a demoat sat sought to use it for evil. She was a miko, and one of the strongest of her kind during that age. It says not how the shikon came into her hands, but once it did, she protected it for three years before her death.� Kaede paused, then focused on Kagome. �She was your age when it came to her hands.�
Kagome squirmed, then touched her side, which still ached from the wound the shikon exited from. �But how did it get inside of me?�
�After her death, the demon that killed her was warded off by a powerful monk and demon slayer, then sealed away inside a gem, left within a shrine for the rest of his days. For her death, the two that destroyed him thought it was justice that he should become the one thing he desired most. A jewel.�
�Yeah yeah, but how is it here now,� Inuyasha interrupted.
�Patience, child. Before her death, Kikyou uttered one last thing to her friends. She wished that they would cremate her body with the shikon, so that it would fade from existence.� Kagome slapped a hand over Inuyasha�s mouth before he made some rude comment, and Kaede continued, undisturbed. �I believe you are the reincarnation of that priestess, Kikyou. Tell me, Kagome, during that battle with the demon, when its limbs were burned, was it because you touched him?�
�I was frightened, and it was the only thing I could think of. When I tried to force him away from me, my hands glowed, and he screamed. Then his hand just melted off and hit the ground.�
�You have the gift, child. The ability to purify demons of your strength or weaker.�
�The gift? I..I don�t understand. Do you mean I am someone else?�

�No, Kagome. You are still you, but you are also a miko. The shikon was reborn with you in this time period. Why, I cannot answer, but there can be no good. Your soul should be resting, not walking the earth again.�
�Then what do we do? How can we get rid of it for good if burning it wasn�t enough?�
�The origins of the shikon were never put into writing, bn thn the legends I know of, there was belief that if one with a genuinely kind soul made a good wish on the gem in its pure form, it would disappear from existence.�
�Then that�s what we�ll do,� Kagome decided.
�Do not be so hasty, Kagome. There is also the belief that if the jewel is given a dark wish, it will become corrupted and dirty, and unleash the wrath of a thousand demons upon the world. You must join it, and think over the wish carefully before taking any action.�
The schoolgirl nodded and drew out the small glass bottle with the shards, uncapping it. �How do I rejoin them?�
***
The walk home was quiet. What surprised her was that Sesshoumaru took her usual route through the back alley, rather than a straightforward way to his own home. Several times, she thought to question him and ask why they took the path so out of the way, but it became clear to her when they stopped outside of her small, rundown apartment building.
�Retrieve any possessions that you need.�
Rin nodded, and sprinted up the stairwell, disappearing in the door leading to her own flat.
She returned with a small piece of luggage, bearing personal items and undergarments that she would have been too embarrassed for Jaken to buy. It was slightly exciting to have a servan sor sorts, but she had too much pride for him to go out for feminine products.
Rin swallowed and walked at his side, stealing glances every so often to examine his features, visualizing his youkai marks again where only smooth pale flesh was seen.
Without turning his head from the forward position, Sesshoumaru spoke up. �Is there a reason why you stare at me?� he asked.
�No, nothing. Sorry,� she apologized quickly, shamed ilooklooking forward as well.
That night, Rin called her aunt on the phone, and explained that she had spent the evening with a new friend. When her aunt asked if that �new friend� was a male friend Rin blushed furiously and stuttered through an explanation that he was a new teacher in town, and lived with no one but his irritable little servant. When he invited her to his home, she couldn�t refuse.�
�That�s wonderful, dear. I always thought that apartment you lived in was a little run down. And in sngerngerngerous neighborhood too. Hopefully you will become�.closer with this Hogosha fellow soon.�
�Obachan!�
�I speak nothing but the truth, my dear. Well, if you�ll excuse me, this old lady must retire to bed. Be sure to introduce me to this fellow soon.�
�I will, Obachan.� They spoke their goodnight�s to one another, and Rin hung up the phone.
She thought of how surprised she had been to discover the house did have a phone line. Jaken had laughed at her, calling her a silly human girl for assuming demons wouldn�t need to send messages before leading her to it.
Now that her phone call was over, she didn�t know what to do. She�d been disappointed to discover the house was lacking a television set, something Jaken claimed was a worthless human invention, and that �his Lord Sesshoumaru� need not concern himself with foolish toys and item
- 11
- 12
- 13
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Overcoming Adversity